


Catching Flowers

by goingtothetardis



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: (But not a Sleeping Beauty crossover), Angst, Bad Wolf, Enchanted Sleep, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Prompt Fic, Romance, Secondary F/F Relationship, Telepathy, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-07-22 04:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7420351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Rose attend a royal wedding as esteemed guests, and when a bouquet toss goes a bit awry, the Doctor is forced to broaden his mind to embrace fantastical concepts he'd never allowed himself to embrace in order to save Rose's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tenscupcake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenscupcake/gifts).



> So a while back I took drabble prompts, and Tenscupcake gave me this prompt [“You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”] and requested that I make it as long as I could get it. Well, I finished all the other prompts and still had nothing for this, so I just let the prompt sit for a while until this idea came into existence. 
> 
> After sitting on it for a few months, I finally decided I just needed to start posting to motivate myself to finish it. It's not all written, which is super terrifying for me, but I think it'll be a good challenge -- something to hold myself accountable to an idea and a story. I've got a vague outline, and right now it's looking like it'll be about 5 chapters, but it may go up, since things don't always go as planned. I have no idea what my posting schedule will be like for this story. :)
> 
> Note: There is a secondary OC F/F couple in this story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this short little prologue!!
> 
> Thanks to my awesome beta, crazygirlne/aimtoallonsy!

“It’s a tiny little planet boasting pristine beaches and quaint seaside villages, Rose. And it has the best fish and chips this side of the galaxy! Well, I say this side of the galaxy, but really, we can be in any part of the galaxy anytime and anywhen, and– ” The Doctor stopped abruptly as Rose put a finger to his lips. 

“It sounds lovely, Doctor. I’ll go see if the TARDIS has anything for me to wear, yeah? You take us there. What’s the planet called?”

“Qttlox IV,” the Doctor replied. 

Rose made her way to the wardrobe and smirked when she saw what the TARDIS picked out for her. Something told her they wouldn’t be landing in one of the quaint, seaside villages the Doctor intended to take them. Rose took a moment to admire the TARDIS’s outfit selection before quickly doing her hair and makeup and then dressing. She hurried back to the console room and cautiously stepped over the grating to where the Doctor was waiting by the front door. 

“Rose! There you are! Are you ready…” He trailed off as he looked Rose up and down, his jaw hanging slack. On her feet she wore flowery printed heels, the kind she could walk in all day, with a thin strap around her forefoot and ankle. The TARDIS had chosen a two-piece gown ensemble; the flowy, lightweight skirt, with a cascading silhouette and high/low hem, was bright fuschia. The ivory crop top sparkled with sequins and flattered her form with cap sleeves and a jewel neckline, and the look was made more dramatic with a diamond cutout in the back. Her shoulder length hair lay in soft waves, and her hazel eyes were highlighted by tastefully smokey eye-makeup. The overall image was simultaneously elegant, youthful, and fun, and Rose couldn’t help the twinge of excitement for whatever reason the TARDIS provided her the outfit. 

“Uh,” the Doctor started, clearly distracted by the unexpected vision in front of him. “Rose, um, you look lovely, but I think you might be a bit overdressed.”

“This is what the TARDIS gave me, Doctor. Something tells me we’re not where you wanted to take me.”

The Doctor huffed in indignation, threw open the door, then grimaced. “Ah, well, a slight miscalculation. I’ll just– ” He slammed the door shut and turned to make his way back to the console, but Rose stopped him with a hand on his chest. 

“Nope! I’m not wasting this outfit! The TARDIS clearly wants us here. Please, Doctor?” Rose dusted some invisible lint off his tie and gave him the doe-eyed look she knew he could never refuse. 

He looked at her briefly, ran a hand through his hair, and sighed in defeat. Rose grinned. 

“Fine, but if we get into trouble,” he said, pointing his finger at her, “don’t come whinging to me, Rose Tyler.”

Rose laughed and threw open the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rose's [outfit](http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/aidan-by-aidan-mattox-sequin-taffeta-two-piece-ballgown/4273008?origin=related-4273008-0-1-PP_4-Data_Lab_Recommendo_V2-fbt_similar_items&recs_type=related&recs_productId=4273008&recs_categoryId=0&recs_productOrder=1&recs_placementId=PP_4&recs_source=Data_Lab_Recommendo_V2&recs_strategy=fbt_similar_items&recs_referringPageType=item_page).
> 
> Rose's [shoes](http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/stuart-weitzman-nudistsong-ankle-strap-sandal-women/3915100?origin=category-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=ELECTRIC%20SUEDE).


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Rose attend a royal wedding, and Rose partakes in an old Earth wedding tradition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter written for a while and finally talked myself into publishing it. :D The next chapter is still being written, but I hope to get to it tomorrow afternoon sometime.
> 
> Thanks to crazygirlne for the awesome beta help, as per usual. :)

Instead of Qttlox IV, the TARDIS landed on 38th century Rvaldo Prime hours before a royal wedding celebration. The wedding in question was between the beloved king and queen’s eldest daughter, Princess Shoshana, and her betrothed, Keziah.

After stepping from the TARDIS into a tiny, brick alley, the intrepid duo found themselves just steps away from the wedding parade taking the couple to the palace for the ceremony. As per usual, their unplanned destination meant there had been a wrong deed to right, and they arrived just in time to thwart an assassination attempt against the royal family. In thanks, the king and queen invited them as esteemed guests to the wedding and the reception party to follow. 

Given that she was already dressed for the occasion and avoided any clothing disasters while the Doctor apprehended the would-be assassin, Rose wanted to accept the invitation to the wedding festivities. She expected to lay on a thick layer of charm to convince the Doctor to stay, but much to her delight, he readily agreed, claiming a Rvaldan wedding ceremony was an occasion not to be missed.

**+++++**

A few hours later, as the Doctor and Rose stood to the side eating nibbles from a shared plate, the master of ceremonies made an announcement for the bouquet toss. Rose looked at the Doctor in surprise. “A bouquet toss? Really?”

“Oh yes,” the Doctor began excitedly. “The Rvaldans are renowned around the galaxy in this time for their historical research and adaptation of old Earth customs and traditions. Marriage is highly valued here, and as silly as it sounds, the bouquet toss is one of the most popular wedding traditions adapted. In some cases, it’s taken very seriously. At a royal wedding, like this one, the one who catches the bouquet is rewarded with a wedding celebration much like that for a member of the royal family, when the lucky recipient is ready to be married, if that time ever comes. It’s a huge honor, as a royal wedding is not a frequent event. In some ways, it’s just an excuse to throw another of the parties the Rvaldans love so much.”

“So this wedding will have two bouquet tosses, yeah?” Rose asked. 

“Two brides, two bouquets. It’s likely, yes, which explains the added level of excitement,” the Doctor replied.

He made to continue but was interrupted when the final announcement for the bouquet toss filtered throughout the banquet hall. “All unattached female guests are invited to stand in front of the marriage platform at this time. The bouquet toss will occur in five minutes time. Stand ready, honored guests.”

Rose made a split second decision and gave the Doctor a wide, cheeky smile before turning without a word and running to join the mass of female guests flocking to stand in front the ornate platform built for the ceremony. She snuck a peek at him over her shoulder and laughed at the shocked expression on his face, wondering why he appeared so surprised at her desire to participate. Well, he _did_ like it when she wholeheartedly embraced the new cultures they encountered. Why was this any different? It’s not like she’d actually catch the bouquet, and even if she did, the thought of her actually being able to take advantage of the reward was laughable. While she’d learned to believe anything was possible during her travels, for the safety of her heart, Rose refused to entertain even a casual idea of what it’d be like to marry the Doctor. 

Rose marveled at the variety of humanoid species attending the wedding. Most had the same pale lavender skin and golden-hued eyes as their hosts, but a good number were obviously off-worlders like herself. Rvaldo Prime was clearly not only a popular holiday destination in this galaxy, but also one with positive relations with neighboring planets. 

As the brides readied themselves on the platform, Rose fidgeted along with the rest of the crowd. The anticipation was palpable, and Rose wondered whether getting trampled was a concern. She shrugged off her nerves as Keziah readied herself to toss her bouquet, a tasteful, round bouquet filled with a variety of what looked like delicate, white roses. Holding her breath as the bride tossed the flowers in a wide arch behind her, Rose resisted the temptation to join the surge of women to catch the bouquet while flew through the air toward a point to her left. 

Royal officials led the victor of this bouquet toss onto the platform and off to the side. The marriage between Shoshana and Keziah was the first double bouquet toss in recorded history, and the excited energy failed to diminish as the women waited for the second toss. 

Rose shifted closer and closer to the platform as Shoshana turned her back to the audience and positioned herself. She bent over slightly and arched her back for momentum as her arm flew up and released the bouquet. Rose held her breath as the colorful, unfamiliar flowers flew through the air, and her heart skipped a beat as the bouquet arched down to her position in the hall. As her own arms reflexively shot up to reach for the flowers, she bent her knees and leapt into the air. Her fingers wrapped around the stem of the bouquet mere seconds before a stranger’s hand grasped around empty air for the flowers, and she held tightly to the bouquet.

Rose landed on both feet, a feat in and of itself with her strappy stilettos, and lifted the bouquet high in victory. A gleeful bark of laughter bubbled out, and Rose looked over her shoulder to the Doctor and winked. Her laughter blossomed when, even from a distance, she saw his jaw drop at her boldness and a slow blush color his freckled cheeks. 

As the crowd parted gracefully to allow Rose to the platform, she reflected on the relatively peaceful nature of this custom on Rvaldo Prime. Having attended a few cousins’ weddings in the past, her only association with this event was an almost cat-fight like experience as the women fought over the bouquet. One time the bouquet had been shredded to pieces. 

Upon reaching the platform, an official led Rose onto the platform, and the brides joined the gathering before introductions were made. In the background, wedding festivities resumed, and the main floor returned to a dance floor. 

Shoshana led the introductions. “Congratulations! Keziah and I are delighted to bestow this honor on you both, our honored guests and victors of the bouquet toss. Now, before we announce you as the winners, it’s custom to bring your own significant other to the stage, if you have one.” She turned to the winner of Keziah’s bouquet and nodded, prompting her to speak. 

“Your majesties, it is my honor to be here today, and I sincerely thank you for the invitation to your wedding and the wedding festivities,” the woman declared, earning friendly nods from the newly wedded pair. She was clearly familiar with the expected formalities of such an event. “My name is Ara, and I am a school teacher in the village. I do have someone in my life, Lonan– he’s a teacher like me. However, and forgive me if I’m too bold in this request, a friend of mine is ill and her betrothed must work all the time just to pay for her medical treatments. They can’t afford a proper wedding ceremony, and I would like to give them my reward, if that’s allowed. We’ve been friends all our lives, and she, they _both_ deserve nothing less.”

Keziah and Shoshana exchanged a look, and Rose bit her lip, stunned by the heartfelt compassion of Ara’s request. The earlier assassination attempt had been frustrating, but Ara’s plea reminded her that good can be found anywhere in the universe. 

Shoshana smiled and gave the woman a quick hug. “Of course, Ara. Such a request has never been made before, but today is a day to honor and celebrate love, and it’s clear you have a great love for your friend. Nothing would make us happier than to give your friend the wedding she deserves. And,” she added thoughtfully, “we’ll send the royal doctor to examine your friend and provide the care she needs, without cost to her or her family.”

A few tears of gratitude rolled down Ara’s cheek, and Rose squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. 

A peaceful quiet descended among them for a few moments before Shoshana turned to Rose, mindful of the fact that the wedding celebration continued in the background. “Ah, Rose, it’s your turn. We’re so delighted you participated in this wonderful tradition of ours.” She turned briefly to Ara. “Ara, I’m sure you heard about the assassination attempt against my parents earlier today. Rose and the Doctor helped stop the assassin, and what is the happiest day of my life could have very well been the most traumatic day of my life. They’re honored guests, with our gratitude.” Smiling at Rose, she asked, “Now, shall we fetch your Doctor so we can formally bestow our gift on both of you?”

Rose blushed and shifted her gaze to the floor. “Well, the thing is, we’re not really together, me and him. We’re not a couple.” 

Shoshana and Keziah stared at Rose in silence, skepticism written clearly all over their faces. 

“Rose, that can’t be true. We’ve watched the two of you work together all day, and the way you two act around each other... Surely you’re joking,” Keziah stated matter-of-factly. 

Rose gave a short laugh. “Yeah, well join the party. Everyone always thinks we’re a proper couple, but we’re not.” She sighed before looking at Shoshana and Keziah. “‘M not saying I’m opposed to that idea, but the Doctor, he doesn’t do that sort of thing. At least, he’s never shown any interest in it.”

As if he knew she was talking about him, the Doctor chose that moment to interrupt their gathering by bounding on the stage and giving Rose an excited hug. When he released her, their hands wound together naturally. “Rose! Brilliant catch!” He smiled broadly at Rose before pouting at Shoshana and Keziah. “I’ve been trying to get up here for several minutes, but your officials said I’m not allowed.” 

The other three women looked at each other with matching, knowing smirks. “You were saying, Rose?” Shoshana prompted, struggling to hide a smile. 

Rose rolled her eyes, knowing any attempt at denial was futile and motioned for the brides to just get on with it. Let them think what they wanted. It’s not like she and the Doctor would ever come back to claim the reward for catching the bouquet. For a brief moment she worried, as an off-worlder, about taking something from a culture so tied to tradition, as though she were stealing the opportunity of a wedding such as what she had won, taking it from a deserving resident of the kingdom. Perhaps she could discuss this with the brides later and gift it to someone in need, as Ara had done. For now, however, she might as well have a little fun with it and pretend that the impossible could happen.

The wedding celebration once again grew quiet as Shoshana and Keziah returned to the front of the platform to announce the winners, and Rose followed close behind with the Doctor and Ara. Not one to enjoy the spotlight, Rose fidgeted with the bouquet she still held in her hands. She was used to standing in the background, saving worlds and then leaving. Being the center of attention for a moment put her temporarily out of her comfort zone. 

Shoshana introduced Ara and Rose, then explained the tradition of the bouquet toss and the gift of a future wedding to be bestowed upon the winners. Of Ara, she announced the woman’s desire to gift her reward to her friend, and this unusual turn of events was enthusiastically accepted by the guests, especially when Shoshana added that because of her selfless act, Ara and Lonan would still receive a wedding reward of their own. The princess then turned to Rose and the Doctor with a smile, and introduced them before the people. 

“Today the Doctor and Rose saved my father and mother, the king and queen, from what would have been a swift and certain assassination.” The crowd cheered loudly, and she waited for the noise to quiet. “They were invited to attend our wedding ceremony as esteemed guests, and we are now delighted to announce that as the one who caught the second bouquet, Rose and her… Doctor will be given the reward for their own wedding celebration, if they choose to accept it, at the time of their choosing.”

The room erupted into applause and cheers, and the Doctor looked at Rose in astonishment, his eyebrows hidden under the fringe of his hair. She rolled her eyes at his expression. He’d been the one to explain the very nature of the tradition to her, and she wasn’t sure why he was so surprised by the announcement. He _had_ been the one to find her on stage without summons, seemingly loathe to be far from her side. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “Rose, what?!” 

Rose ignored him and listened to the rest of Shoshana’s announcement. In an effort to hide her reaction to the very alluring thought of being married to the Doctor, she lifted the bouquet of flowers to her face and inhaled the heady scent of unfamiliar blossoms. Suddenly the room in front of her blurred, and the bouquet fell from her grip. The world around her faded into darkness, and the last thing she remembered was a pair of strong arms catching her as she crumpled to the floor.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor tries to figure out what is going on after Rose collapses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gave me so many fits, you have no idea. Part of the problem is that I felt like I couldn't get the details of this chapter right until I finished the next two chapters, and as I wrote the next two chapters (which are complete but not yet beta-ed), the plot kind of exploded on me and went some places I wasn't expecting, so I had to make sure it all tied together. This is the first time I've written anything out of order. I actually wrote this chapter, the second half of the next and the full chapter after that, before coming back to this chapter and making sure it worked. 
> 
> Anyway, that was a fun story. 
> 
> I'd like to say thank you to Caedmon for reading this chapter and the next two (just to make sure it's consistent) and then to Crazygirlne for really being an amazing beta. A few tiny bits of this chapter are only good, because she helped me out with them when I was just staring into space, completely clueless. So thank you.

“Rose, what?!” The Doctor hissed in Rose’s ear. Surely he’d heard the princess wrong. He’d known the rules of the bouquet toss before Rose had dashed off to participate, but the last thing he’d expected when he came onto the platform was to be announced as Rose’s… significant other. Well, on second thought, maybe he should have expected it. This wasn’t the first time someone assumed they were a couple.

As he processed (or tried to) Shoshana’s long announcement, he heard the soft thud of Rose’s bouquet as it fell to the platform. Time slowed around him as he watched Rose’s eyes flutter shut and her body sway in place, and with lightning-quick Time Lord reflexes, the Doctor let go of Rose’s hand and wrapped his arms around her from behind as she slumped into him. 

“Rose!” he cried out as he lowered her limp body to the floor. “Rose! Rose, wake up!” The Doctor cupped Rose’s face in his hands before quickly checking her pulse. Strong and steady. 

_But why was she unconscious?_

He pulled his sonic screwdriver out and discretely scanned Rose’s body. Normal, everything was normal, except– Wait. There. He squinted at the obscure reading. Her ventrolateral preoptic nucleus indicated off the charts levels of activity, especially for a human, and the levels of neurotransmitters to inhibit wakefulness were exceptionally high– dangerously high for a human. Fury started coursing through his veins, and he shut out the rest of the world around him as he hovered over Rose, desperately whispering her name while using his sonic in a futile attempt to revive her. 

The buzz of excitement around the hall quieted as guests realized this wasn’t part of the events. Shoshana and Keziah surged forward and knelt quickly on the other side of Rose’s body. 

“Doctor! Is Rose alright?” Keziah looked at him as she spoke.

The Doctor raised his eyes and glared at the women, and they both flinched at the intensity of the Oncoming Storm on his face. “What did you do to her?” he demanded, his voice deceptively calm. 

Shoshana looked at the Doctor aghast. “What do you mean, ‘what did we do to her’? Doctor, you know just as well as us, that there’s nothing here on this planet to harm her.” She opened her mouth to say more, but Keziah interrupted.

“My love, perhaps we should move Rose away from the party to a more discreet location. It would be more appropriate to speak there. I’ll excuse us, and you can take Rose to a guest room to be examined by a doctor,” Keziah softly encouraged.

Their eyes met, and Shoshana nodded and beckoned to the Doctor. “Doctor, shall I have one of our guards–” 

“No. No one will touch her except for me, so there’s no need for another doctor. Now let’s go,” the Doctor growled, and after gently brushing Rose’s hair away from her face, he scooped her up in his arms and, following Shoshana and two officials, carried her off the platform and out of the banquet hall. 

Immediately outside the hall, the king and queen met them with overwhelming concern for Rose, with a barrage of questions and offers of anything required for assistance. In frantic whispers, Shoshana requested they return to the party to stand in for her and Keziah, who felt their duty lay with Rose to ensure her health and well-being. The Doctor huffed loudly, and with a promise to keep her parents updated with Rose’s condition, Shoshana led the Doctor quickly down the hall. 

Impatience and frustration gnawed at the Doctor, and instinct dictated he take Rose and run to the TARDIS. However, he needed to know more about the situation in case foreign elements were somehow involved, and he hoped Shoshana and Keziah could possibly offer some kind of explanation to Rose’s condition. 

Leaving the officials in the corridor, he followed Shoshana into a small, intimate sitting room lined with walls of books, and the Doctor crossed the room and laid Rose down on the green velvet chaise lounge. He knelt beside her and once again scanned her with the sonic screwdriver. And again, the readings displayed the same thing: a hyperactive ventrolateral preoptic nucleus and an overload of inhibiting neurotransmitters. She was sleeping, and that was all.

Standing quickly, the Doctor rounded on Shoshana, eyes blazing with fury. “Let me ask you again. What happened to Rose?” He spaced the words in a steady voice that belied the fury simmering below the surface. 

For the first time, Shoshana looked slightly apprehensive of the Doctor and what he might do if Rose’s life were actually in danger. Before she could respond, Keziah rushed into the room. She stopped when she noticed the tense atmosphere between her wife and the Doctor. 

“Doctor...” She held out a placating hand in an attempt to dissolve the tension. “Is Rose alright?”

“Does it look like she’s alright?!” the Doctor hissed. “She’s breathing and her pulse is steady and normal, but my scans indicate she’s in a deep sleep, and for some reason I can’t wake her. One minute she’s fine, and the next minute, she’s smelling the bouquet…” He trailed off when Shoshana and Keziah looked at each other in astonishment. 

“Doctor, is Rose human?” Keziah asked.

“Of course she’s human,” he snapped.

Keziah raised her eyebrows and glanced at Rose before returning her gaze to the Doctor. “But is she a _true_ human, of Earth? I don’t know where you come from, anything about you, really, but is there a chance Rose has had some exposure to Time?” 

The Doctor paled. They hadn’t done anything to tip their hands as time travelers, so why was Keziah asking about this? And at this moment in Rvaldan history, they shouldn’t really be familiar with time travel at all. “Yes, she’s fully human, and yes, she’s had some… interaction with Time.” he said through gritted teeth, wondering where, exactly, Keziah was going with this. 

Keziah and Shoshana exchanged a glance. “There’s a flower in Shoshana’s bouquet called the pekayo. It’s a rare flower found only in the mountains of Rotiline in the south quadrant of the planet, and it’s been used for ages in a royal bride’s bouquet as a charm of good luck, for blessings of love and longevity.” She stopped for a moment and looked at Rose lying quietly on the chaise. “Doctor, how much do you know of our history?”

The Doctor sighed and resigned himself to the inevitable conversation. Despite his underlying concern for Rose, the scans _did_ indicate she was... Well, simply sleeping. He knew better than to think there was nothing else going on, however, and he assumed Shoshana and Keziah had some answers. “Enough. Rvaldo Prime has a relatively short and peaceful history. Colonized over a thousand years ago by descendants of an ancient race from the Rvaldonian Galaxy, it’s maintained a successful monarchy with good trade and friendly relations with neighboring planets. It’s a popular tourist destination and is well known for its adaption of old Earth customs. But I don’t understand what this has to do with Rose.” He bluntly returned to the reason they were in this situation. 

Keziah interjected. “What you didn’t mention, Doctor, is that the ancient race we descend from has a long history in the magical arts, and our society was constructed on those principles of magic. To this day, parts of our culture are steeped in magic, and in many ways, it’s as natural a part of our society as adopting old Earth traditions like the bouquet toss. Certain individuals are blessed with magic, and it’s also woven into many of the natural elements of our planet. The pekayo flower is a legend in and of itself and is deeply rooted in magical lore. In fact, it’s suggested that our magic comes from this flower.”

The Doctor stared at Keziah. "Okay, yes, magical flowers aren't an uncommon piece of lore. But again, what does this have to do with Rose? Why is she asleep?"

Keziah gave Shoshana a side-long glance, and the princess nodded slightly, encouraging her to continue. “Legends dictate that the pekayo flower, while not harmful to most humans, reacts differently to very specific circumstances: a true human of Earth with exposure to Time. Certain biological properties of the blossoms put such an individual into an enchanted sleep.”

Scoffing, the Doctor’s gaze flitted between Shoshana and Keziah before returning to Rose, and he stared at her a moment before speaking. “Rvaldans shouldn't know anything about time travel, much less have legends rooted in it. And legends, those are all well and good, but actual magic? Magic can always be explained by science." He held up his sonic screwdriver. "This tells me Rose is asleep. Deeply asleep, but still. She's asleep. There's no enchantment, no magic, just sleep. I need science and explanations I can work with, not bloody magic.”

Shoshana scrutinized him until he shifted uncomfortably and scratched the back of his neck. “But Doctor, surely you’ve seen much of the universe and have seen things that your science cannot always explain. There are other things, older and more beautiful than science, that don’t always require a scientific basis, that require one to simply rely on faith to believe. You need to allow yourself to accept them.” 

“I believe in Rose,” he murmured, remembering the words he’d spoken on Krop Tor in front of the Beast. Even on Krop Tor, while he’d accepted the existence of the Beast, he’d refused to accept what it claimed to be. And even now, he struggled to accept the existence of such things like magic. Magic defied explanation, could not be explained by formulas, reason, and tangible evidence. Rose, he could see, he could touch, and it made it easy, as effortless as breathing, to believe in her. And while he loved nothing more than to discover all the mysteries of the universe, when the unknown threatened Rose’s life, well– He had no tolerance for that. 

Smiling softly at the Doctor, Keziah placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Doctor, you must allow yourself to believe. Legends say that the only thing that can break this enchanted sleep is True Love’s Kiss.” The Doctor balked and opened his mouth to interject, but she continued before he could get a word in. “Forgive me if I’m too forward, but I believe you love her, that you both love each other deeply. Anyone can see it, Doctor. In fact, when Rose said you weren’t a proper couple, we didn’t believe her.” She exchanged an amused smile with Shoshana. “And I really think… Maybe take a chance to believe in what you think is impossible.”

The Doctor thought furiously to himself, considering the things Shoshana and Keziah had told him, and while he desperately wanted to believe it and take a chance, there _had_ to be some other way, and he couldn’t leave Rose’s life up to chance and magic. And while he didn’t deny his affection for Rose, he highly doubted she reciprocated those feelings. He’d already saved her life with a kiss once before, and to do so again without her explicit permission (and awareness), made him borderline uncomfortable. 

“No. I’m taking Rose back to the TARDIS, and I’ll find another way to wake her. I’m sorry, but there’s no such thing as a True Love’s Kiss. That’s the stuff of fairy tales, and fairy tales are just that: stories. I– I have to try on my own. I’ll find a way,” the Doctor declared with some desperation. “I need that flower from your bouquet, Shoshana. I’ll use it to find a cure. There’s got to be way, and if anyone can find it, it’s me.”


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor takes Rose back to the TARDIS to try to wake her on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit angsty, guys! SORRY!! But I think it's necessary for the Doctor to go through this and get a bit broken down in order for him to get desperate enough to seek help elsewhere. 
> 
> I know my posting schedule for this is totally erratic. I apologize. I'm going to work really hard to finish it this weekend, because starting next week, my life is going to be chaotic for a while. O_O
> 
> Also, I'm glad you guys are enjoying this so much!! Thanks for all the wonderful feedback!
> 
> And thank you to Crazygirlne for her awesome beta services!!

The Doctor left Rose briefly in the care of Keziah and retrieved the TARDIS, delicately piloting her to the sitting room so as to avoid questioning from the other guests and anyone else roaming the palace corridors. Meanwhile, Shoshana returned to the banquet hall and collected the bouquet for the Doctor. 

After the Doctor returned, he took the bouquet, placed it on the console, and then came back and gathered Rose in his arms. He turned without a word and started walking onto the TARDIS, but Shoshana stopped him with her hand on his arm.

He stopped but looked steadfastly in front of him as she spoke. “Doctor, we’re so terribly sorry, and if there’s anything we can do, you and Rose will always be welcome here. And if you want to hear the legend, well, you know where to find us.” The Doctor nodded tersely before entering his ship. 

On his way to the medbay, the Doctor pushed the button configured to take them into the Vortex in the case of an emergency, and he sighed in relief when the rotor began pumping up and down, signifying her flight into the Vortex. 

He found the medbay moved just outside of the console room and mentally thanked the TARDIS for bringing it close. The TARDIS replaced the exam table that normally sat in the center of the room with a bed, large enough for two people, against the back wall, and he immediately crossed the room and laid Rose down on it. 

Sitting down beside her, the Doctor brushed her hair away from her face and caressed her cheek. “Rose, I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “Please wake up.” After a moment, he realized that Rose was still in her party dress and shoes, and his hearts fell when he remembered how excited Rose had been to wear this particular outfit. Even now, she looked stunning, but he admitted he always thought this about Rose, no matter what she wore. 

The Doctor surveyed the medbay and tried to decide where to start. The 58th century scanner caught his eye, and with a decisive nod, he decided to start with a full body scan. The machine turned on with a quiet hum, and he positioned it over Rose before attaching the blood analyzer to her finger. He lingered for several moments, watching the machine like a hawk, and then the TARDIS gave him a mental prod to remind him of his next task. 

With strict instructions to the TARDIS for her to notify him immediately if Rose woke up (she gave him the mental equivalent of an annoyed sigh at the fact that he felt he needed to even ask), the Doctor walked the short distance down the corridor to Rose’s room to grab her some different clothes. He’d visited her room with increasing frequency since he’d regenerated, but Rose had always been there with him. Now, standing in her private space without her, the Doctor fought to remain calm. There _had_ to be a way to wake Rose. He couldn’t and wouldn’t lose her now. 

_No._

Oh the way to her closet, the Doctor stopped at the large mirror over her vanity and looked at the pictures Rose had taped around the edges. Her smile shone brightly out of every picture, and he lingered on the ones featuring him in some sort of affectionate embrace with Rose. It continued to astound him how his hearts had been so quickly captivated by this human girl – no, woman – in the relatively short time she’d been traveling with him. He’d fallen for her, completely and irrevocably, and to feel so helpless to save the woman he loved sent him spiraling into a dark place he hadn’t visited since the nightmarish days after the Time War. 

The TARDIS drew him from his thoughts when she indicated the scan had finished, so he quickly found Rose’s favorite pair of sweatpants and a soft vest top and ran back to the medbay. He moved the scanner out of the way, and with exceeding care to respect Rose’s privacy, removed her party dress and quickly dressed her in the clothes he’d retrieved from her room. 

After covering her with a blanket, the Doctor positioned himself in front of the monitor and began to study the results. Thirty minutes later, the Doctor stalked angrily around the medbay and kicked a metal medical cart in frustration as he ran through the results once more in his mind. 

_Nothing_. 

Nothing was wrong with Rose. The scans indicated nothing amiss, other than what his sonic had shown him earlier. Her body hadn’t been affected by any foreign particles, the blood work was clear, and the brain scans failed to show anything wrong. Normally he’d be thrilled with such readings, but when Rose lay under a mysterious “enchanted sleep” for no reason, he needed to find answers. And quickly. 

Thinking of the enchanted sleep reminded the Doctor of the pekayo flower. Maybe if he studied the flower’s chemical and biological composition, it might yield some answers. A movement to his left distracted him, and the Doctor turned to find the bouquet lying on another medical cart. He carefully plucked the offending flower out of the bunch and twirled it absently in front of him as he studied it. The pekayo resembled a rose but had almost translucent pale pink blossoms that, at the right angle, sparkled with a subtle golden glitter. 

The Doctor walked to another scanner that worked on plants and other non-human(oid) tissue, and he waited impatiently for the results after sticking it inside the small container. When complete, the machine beeped, and the Doctor looked anxiously at the results. 

_Again, nothing._

He let out a string of curses he knew the TARDIS wouldn’t translate and pulled irritably at his hair. While not of Earth, the scans indicated nothing that would potentially be harmful or poisonous to Rose. Nothing that would put her into a mysterious sleep. 

The Doctor paced the medbay, back and forth, wearing an invisible path in the floor. His mind raced as he sorted through his vast knowledge, not only universal medical knowledge, but also any kind of information that might have some connection to the situation in which he and Rose currently found themselves. 

Massaging his temples, the Doctor attempted to work with the TARDIS to find _some_ kind of answer, and he stopped suddenly in his tracks. Oh, he was so _stupid_. 

Telepathy. He could try to wake her with telepathic contact. 

The Doctor rushed over to Rose’s bed, but stopped when his fingers hovered just over her temples. What was he _thinking_?! He’d just refused to kiss Rose because he didn’t want to violate her trust again (and also because he refused to play along with the princesses’ claims of the existence of a True Love’s Kiss), and now he was considering entering her mind without her permission? 

Yeah, because the last time he’d mentioned any kind of telepathic interference with Rose, she’d taken it _so_ well.

He pulled away from Rose completely and buried his head in his hands. Not the time for sarcasm. Despite his hesitation, the Doctor continued to return to the idea of telepathically investigating Rose as his only option. He remembered her initial aversion to it on Platform One, but also knew how much Rose had changed since her first trip on the TARDIS. She’d watched the Doctor positively employ telepathy to help others on a few other adventures, and he thought she’d be more receptive to the idea now. Turning to face her again, the Doctor spoke out loud.

“Rose, I’m so, so sorry, but I don’t know what else to do. I promise I won’t look at anything other than what I’m looking for. Mind you, I don’t know quite what that is, but I’ll find it. I promise. Please understand, Rose.”

It helped when the TARDIS gave him an encouraging nudge, and with a deep breath, he placed his fingers on Rose’s temples, closed his eyes, and entered her mind. 

It was… intoxicating. The Doctor almost lost himself in the aura of her mind, but thankfully the TARDIS sharply reminded him of his task. With intense focus, the Doctor began to move forward along the neural pathways and quickly encountered a significant mental barrier. An impossible one. 

A golden wolf stood in front of him, presenting a force stronger than an iron gate, and despite his multiple attempts to get past it, the wolf stood resolute. The Doctor almost screamed in frustration before pulling himself out of Rose’s mind. What did it mean? 

And a wolf. A golden wolf. That was… impossible.

**+++++**

Two weeks passed, and the Doctor lingered on the edge of madness as none of his incessant attempts to wake Rose from sleep worked. She lay unchanged, in stasis, her body perfectly protected by this… whatever it was. The Doctor’s hair stuck out in all directions, messy and chaotic from his hands constantly pulling at it in frustration, and his suit was wrinkled and unkempt. An aura of manic desperation surrounded the Doctor, and finally, after the TARDIS locked him out of the medbay when he’d gone to use the loo, he’d ended up in the galley. For the first time since Rose fell asleep, he forced himself to eat a proper meal. Until now, he’d survived on tea and bananas, and he grudgingly thanked his ship for forcing him to step back and take care of himself.

A wave of exhaustion crashed over the Doctor, and he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. He knew he needed sleep, but instinct called him to continue trying to wake Rose from her slumber. 

The TARDIS prodded him quietly and suggested that he’d be no use to Rose if he continued without sleep, and finally acquiescing to the suggestions of his ship, he dragged himself to his room and fell to his bed, immediately slipping into a deep sleep. 

Ghosts of past conversations haunted his dreams, and the Doctor woke several hours later with a gasp. In the initial chaos and confusion after Rose first victim to this enchanted sleep, he’d simply shoved aside Keziah and Shoshana’s hints of a legend surrounding the pekayo flower. Now, however, the untold story of this legend pressed on him, and he realized that the princesses had failed to answer many of his questions. Namely, how did they know about Time? It was all connected somehow, and unlike in that moment, he now knew the answer to Rose’s condition had to lie within this mysterious legend. 

And the golden wolf in Rose’s mind. _What was that?_

The Doctor flew out of his bed and sprinted down the hall to the console room, stopping only briefly in the medbay (which the TARDIS had since reopened) to check on Rose. In the console room, the Doctor pounded his desired search into the keyboard and telepathically communicated with the TARDIS to show him what he needed to see. 

_Nothing_. 

The search yielded… nothing. The Doctor tried everything possible to find the answers he needed, but his search of Rvaldo Prime and its magical history, legends, and records came up suspiciously empty. It was as if someone, some _thing_ pulled the very specific information he searched for out of time and hid it from his view. 

The Doctor stepped back and sat abruptly on the jumpseat, angrily pulling at his hair. He’d hoped to avoid the trip, but he didn’t see any other way around it. With a loud sigh, the Doctor stood and walked around the console, pounding in the necessary coordinates to return him to the royal palace on Rvaldo Prime. 

It was time to get some answers.

**+++++**

Keziah and Shoshana stood outside the TARDIS, waiting for the Doctor to make an appearance, and they were both unsurprised by his return. After the Doctor’s departure with Rose, she and Shoshana had delayed their honeymoon to research the legends of the pekayo flower. As a royal historian of the magical arts, Keziah had vast amounts of information and historical literature available to her. And what they’d found astounded them both.

Within moments, the door opened, and the princesses exchanged a shocked glance. The Doctor standing in front of them now looked nothing like the one who’d left them a few weeks prior. It looked as though he’d neglected himself for a long period of time; his suit was disheveled and rumpled and his hair was in a state of complete disarray. Keziah wondered how long it’d been since he’d had a proper meal or rested properly. 

And when he raised his eyes and looked between them, and Keziah almost stepped back in shock. When before they’d been tinged with desperation and steely determination, his dark brown eyes now burned with a dark, ancient power that almost made her step back in fear. 

“Two weeks I’ve tried to revive Rose, and nothing works. Nothing. My ship seemed to think I needed to come back here, and oh, how we fought. But I slept, finally, and I think she reminded me of a few things.” The Doctor leveled a tight gaze at each of them, and Kezia knew his emotions were tightly strung. Any wrong move, and she didn’t doubt his ability to make the situation far worse. “Now, I believe you left some important information out of our conversation the last time we spoke. Tell me everything you didn’t say. _Now_.”


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The legend of the pekayo flower is revealed, and the Doctor makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry this chapter has taken forever. It’s been done for a while, but both my beta and I have been busy, so eh. Here you go! 
> 
> A few things about this chapter. My awesome beta (crazygirlne/aimtoallonsy), who gave me the name idea for the pekayo flower, informs me that it’s actually a version of a Korean word that means “I’ll see you” (not in a goodbye way), and I think it fits so well with the story!! ALSO! The actual prompt is used at the very, very end of the chapter. :D 
> 
> I hope you like this chapter! I'm quite proud of it. :)

The Doctor left no room for negotiation in his demand. He’d landed close to the sitting room they brought Rose to after her collapse, and the Doctor reported that Rose was safe inside his ship and his sonic would notify him of any changes to her condition. Confident in Rose’s well-being, Shoshana led them to the sitting room. 

At a nod from Shoshana, Keziah began telling the story of the legend of the pekayo flower. “No one really knows when and how, exactly, the legend began. It’s unusual for a Rvaldan story to be so rooted in human influence, as our genetic makeup does not include any human involvement. 

"Legend tells us that long ago, the pekayo flower bloomed for the first time in the Rotiline mountains. One day a great wind blew across the mountains and scattered the petals of the flower through space, creating the foundation for the magic we have today. The wind shaped the petals into the form of a great beast, that of a wolf-like creature, which gave the pekayo flower its nickname: the ‘wolf rose.’”

The Doctor looked sharply at Keziah, and his hands dug into the velvet fabric of the chaise lounge on which he sat. _No, no, no…_ He thought they’d left all mentions of the Wolf behind on the game station, but then… He’d seen the Wolf more recently than that, hadn’t he? The memory of the golden wolf guarding Rose’s mind sprang into his mind, and he clenched his jaw. He forced himself to stay quiet as Keziah continued her story. 

Keziah’s eyebrows raised at the Doctor’s noticeable reaction, but she continued the tale without missing a beat. “And then the form of this wolf spoke, foretelling events that have been told throughout our history. One day a true human woman, born of Earth and imbued with the power of Time, would encounter the elements of the pekayo blossoms. The unlikely combination of elements would trigger a biological metamorphosis and a simultaneous deep sleep required to stabilize the transformation.”

“ _Biological metamorphosis?! Transformation?!_ What–” the Doctor exploded, stopping mid-breath when Keziah held a hand up, prompting him to stop. 

“Doctor, you must let me finish. Please,” she begged. “It will all make sense in due time, but you must let me continue.”

The Doctor’s jaw clenched and his mouth flattened into a firm line, but knowing she was right, he sighed and nodded for her to continue.

“Thank you. It’s unclear what, exactly, this transformation signifies, but the legend is very clear about what would revive the woman.” Keziah stopped for a moment and eyed the Doctor. She let out a deep breath when Shoshana linked hands with hers, and with a determined nod, continued. “Legend speaks of a traveler, a lonely Lord of Time from an ancient race, with nothing left in the universe but his ship and the woman he loves… but will not allow himself to have.” Keziah locked her gaze with the Doctor’s. “And it’s said that he must kiss her with the kiss of True Love, that it is his lips alone that will unlock the final key to the changes inside her, and when she wakes…”

She trailed off nervously. 

“Tell me,” the Doctor whispered. 

“And when she wakes, their lives will be bound together, forever.”

The air whooshed out of the Doctor, and he slumped back on the lounge. A recent conversation with Rose flashed to the forefront of his mind. 

_How long are you going to stay with me?_

_Forever._

At the time, he’d believed her, believed the sincerity behind her words, even though his traitorous mind tried to stubbornly remind him that her words simply couldn’t be true. But now… The story repeated itself over and over in his mind, and while the skeptic in him refused to accept the validity of Keziah’s words, he realized that maybe it was time to face the impossible and do what Shoshana had suggested a few weeks ago: have faith in this legend and believe the words of the Wolf. Rose had already done the impossible, and time and time again, the Bad Wolf had guided them through time and space to the right place, always at the right time, where they needed to be. 

But what if– What if the Bad Wolf was more than _just_ a being of Time created to destroy the Daleks and save his life? What if Rose as Bad Wolf had made conscious decisions with the TARDIS to make their forever together a real possibility? The very thought overwhelmed him and spurred a flame of impossible hope in his hearts. He hardly dared to believe. 

The Doctor cautiously raised his eyes to meet the anxious ones of his hosts, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So you think Rose is this human, and I’m the lonely Time Lord?” he asked, hoping for some kind of confirmation. 

“Doctor, it makes sense. The pekayo flower has never had any effect on anyone else before.” Shoshana spoke up for the first time since Keziah began her story. “And when Rose collapsed, we wondered, but you left before we were able to fully confirm our suspicions. You act like this is a bad thing, Doctor. But is it really so bad to have the possibility of forever with the one you love? You do love Rose, don’t you?” 

The Doctor glared at the floor a moment before raising his eyes and giving a subtle nod of confirmation. “I think she knows, has known for a while, but I’ve not been subtle in making it clear that while she can spend her forever with me, I can’t spend my forever with her. And I could never take that risk of having more with Rose, for both her sake and mine. But now, with this legend… It sounds too good to be true. And this transformation… What does that mean? How is it changing Rose? Nothing showed up on her scans, in fact...” He trailed off, thinking furiously. Had his TARDIS interfered with the results… No, she wouldn’t… Not with Rose’s life, surely. His fingers drummed against the lounge, and his legs twitched restlessly as he fought the urge to run to the TARDIS to run the tests again. 

The two woman studied him, and he squirmed under the intensity of their inspection. Shoshana spoke softly. “Doctor, how often do you disregard Rose’s choice, thinking that you know better? Did it ever occur to you to consider what she wants, what decisions she’s already made? I don’t pretend to know your whole story, because it’s obvious you understood many parts of the legend that are a mystery to us, but we believe in the legends foretold, and to watch it happen before our eyes and to see you struggle with this decision… Please, for Rose, for yourself, will you at least try?”

They were right, Shoshana and Keziah, and he nodded in affirmation of their words. His hearts pounded madly in his chest as he tried to tamp down the excitement of _what could be_ coursing through his mind. Already the timelines were shifting, possibilities unfurling in previously unimaginable ways. Nothing was clear, as per normal with his own timeline, but now Rose’s was also shifting, blurring, a sign it’d somehow entwined itself around his. 

“Yeah, I’ll try.”

**+++++**

A short time later, the Doctor sat cross-legged on the chaise lounge with Rose’s head in his lap. Keziah and Shoshana had insisted he bring Rose back to the sitting room, so instead of carrying her through the halls under the questioning eyes of others walking the corridors, he’d moved the TARDIS to the room. The princesses had excused themselves to give the Doctor and Rose some privacy.

She still wore the sweatpants and tank top he’d dressed her in after removing the fancy party clothes, kept clean and fresh with his sonic, and he thought she’d never looked more beautiful and at peace. 

Despite his promise to kiss Rose, he couldn’t help the last-minute doubts that plagued him. He was a Lord of Time, set in his ways and beliefs, and to be willing to break past those and put his faith in the unknown, in a legend evolved from the Bad Wolf, something he’d always looked upon critically, challenged him in every way. Perhaps this was part of it, however: Rose knowing he had to let go of those fears and trust _her_ , allow her to be in control of her own life, and that they both had to make a choice to allow their forever to be a reality.

With a decisive nod, the Doctor stroked Rose’s cheek before moving his hand to cup the back of her head to hold it at a good angle; the other curled around the side of her waist, holding her close. He bent his head down, hovering his lips over hers for one final moment before closing his eyes and softly pressing his lips to hers. 

As their lips touched, the timelines belonging to him and Rose blazed white hot before changing into a myriad of golden hues, stretching and twisting impossibly far into the future, and while he couldn’t _see_ them, he knew then, without a shadow of a doubt, the legend told the truth. 

In the same moment, Rose awoke with a long gasp, and her eyes flickered open, immediately finding his. She blinked a few times before a slow smile spread across her face. “Hello,” she breathed, reaching up to stroke his cheek.

The Doctor couldn’t help the smile that mirrored hers, and he replied, “Hello.” Relief coursing through his body made him almost giddy, and he couldn’t help quirking his smile into a cheeky grin as he pulled Rose into a tight embrace. “You know, you fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose gets some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter! :) Originally I intended to finish this story up with this chapter, but the characters told me otherwise. ;)
> 
> I'm hoping to get to the next chapter this week, but as I'm in the middle of a major life transition, we'll see how that goes. 
> 
> As per usual, thanks to Crazygirlne for the beta.

Rose laughed, pressing her face into the Doctor’s shoulder before she pulled back with a gasp and wide eyes. “You kissed me!” 

The Doctor eyed her steadily, a bemused smile twitching at corner of his lips. “I did.”

Rose opened her mouth to say something back, but instead, noticed something behind the Doctor. She studied her surroundings and observed the small room lined with bookshelves, the lounge, the TARDIS standing in the corner, and most curiously, the change in her wardrobe. Stilling, fearing that something was very, very wrong, she questioned the Doctor, voice trembling slightly. “Doctor, what’s going on? I thought–” 

Rose paused, taking a moment to sort through her memories, and it all came back in a rush. The TARDIS landing on Rvaldo Prime, the wedding, the bouquet toss, standing on the platform and smelling the… 

Paling slightly, Rose noticed the Doctor’s mouth tighten imperceptibly. “Doctor, I need to know what’s going on. The bouquet– I remember smelling it and then…” Her breathing increased as her voice trailed off, and she squeezed her eyes together. _Oh god, what happened?_

“Rose.” Cool lips pressed against her forehead, and Rose’s eyes flew open in surprise. The Doctor’s brown eyes gazed down at her with such adoration and something else she refused to acknowledge, because _how could that be?_ “Rose, I promise. Everything is fine. You’re fine, and–” 

“Doctor, if you say ‘fine’ one more time…” She warned half-heartedly, not bothering to finish the threat. “Now, tell me. Please.” Rose whispered the last word with an twinge of desperation.

The Doctor rolled his eyes before moving Rose to lean against the back of the chaise lounge. Pulling her legs into his lap, the Doctor shifted slightly to face her. “Rose, nothing happened. Well, I say nothing, but really–”

“Doctor,” Rose muttered in exasperation. 

Exhaling loudly, the Doctor stared at Rose. “Long story short, when you smelled Shoshana’s bouquet, your body reacted to a flower hidden inside that caused you to fall into an… enchanted sleep.” He wrinkled his nose slightly with the use of the phrase. “I couldn’t wake you, Rose. I did everything I could on the TARDIS, and it wasn’t until I came back here and got the full story from Keziah and Shoshana that I, well, figured out how to wake you.”

Rose studied the Doctor until he fidgeted uncomfortably. “Long story short” he’d said, and something, lots of somethings about the short story didn’t make sense. Some time had clearly passed, so she decided to focus her attention there. “How long has it been?”

“Two weeks,” the Doctor answered flatly.

“Two weeks!?” No wonder he’d changed her out of her party clothes and into something more comfortable. But Rose refused to let herself get distracted. “So where are we now?”

“Back on Rvaldo Prime, a few weeks after the wedding.”

Rose relaxed back into the lounge. The Doctor was answering her questions truthfully, as far as she could tell, and it encouraged her to keep prodding him for answers. “Where are Keziah and Shoshana? They have something to do with this, yeah?”

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair and gave Rose a wry smile. “They’re waiting right outside the room, probably quite impatient for me to bring them back inside. And yes, they may have been… instrumental in waking you.” 

“What’s that mean?” Rose asked.

The Doctor sighed and slipped Rose’s legs off his before standing. “I’ll go get them, and we’ll explain from the beginning.”

**+++++**

A short while later, Shoshana and Keziah relaxed in a small sofa opposite the Doctor and Rose, who sat close together on the lounge. Rose curled her legs beneath her and leaned into the Doctor, who welcomed her close proximity and wrapped an arm around her.

The princesses had been overjoyed to reunite with Rose, and she’d happily returned their hugs. Now that they were all seated together, however, the others seemed hesitant to start talking. Rose, almost anxious with desire to know what happened to her, decided to jump start the conversation.

“Alright, please start at the beginning.” Rose nodded to Keziah, deciding to start with the princess in hopes that her manner of telling the story might be more direct than the Doctor’s. She didn’t doubt the Doctor’s willingness to tell the story, but she also knew he occasionally employed his gob in ways that sent her head spinning. Right now, she wanted (and needed) a straight story. 

Keziah nodded and after a quick glance at the Doctor for permission, she launched into the events that’d occurred since Rose smelled the bouquet. When she trailed off at the point when the Doctor left Rvaldo Prime with Rose, the Doctor jumped in and explained his attempts to wake her on the TARDIS. 

Rose heard the edge of desperation to his voice during his explanation, and decided to ask him later what he meant when he said he’d tried _everything_ to wake her. His emphasis on that word as well as Keziah’s repeated mentions of a _legend_ jumped out at her, and when the Doctor trailed off with his decision to return to Rvaldo Prime, describing how the TARDIS had essentially forced him to take care of himself, Rose spoke up. 

“So what’s this legend?”

The Doctor, Shoshana, and Keziah exchanged a look before Shoshana cleared her throat. For the next several minutes Rose sat completely thunderstruck as she listened to the impossible (but yet… possible?) story about the legend of the pekayo flower. 

_A wolf?_

_A human woman imbued with Time?_

_A lonely Lord of TIme?_

_Metamorphosis? Transformation?_

_TRUE LOVE’S KISS?!_

_What?!_

A silence rang out over the group when Shoshana finished her story, and Rose fell back with a deep exhale. Beside her, the Doctor stiffened, probably uncertain about her reaction, and she turned to the Doctor. 

Running fingers over her lips in memory of the Doctor’s lips on hers, Rose said the first thing that crossed her mind. “Doctor, you kissed me…”

“Yeah.”

“And Shoshana said I could only wake up with the kiss of True Love… Does that mean… You’re– We’re– You’re my...” Trailing off, Rose lifted hopeful eyes to the Doctor’s. Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest, and hope warred with disbelief in her mind. 

The Doctor gave her a small grin. “Out of everything she said, Rose, this is what you focus on?” He pulled his arm from around her and laced his fingers through hers, rubbing his thumb against hers before speaking again. “But yeah, it means what you think it does.”

Rose blinked and swallowed back the lump in her throat. “Doctor, I–” The Doctor interrupted her by pressing a finger softly to her lips. “But–” She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say, but she thought she should say something. 

“Not here, Rose. There’s a lot we need to talk about, but we’ll save that one for later. Okay?” The Doctor said softly, eyes indicating nothing but a promise with his words.

Well, that was new, the Doctor agreeing to talk about feelings. Rose bit her lip, suddenly worried. What if this legend forced himself to do something he really didn’t want to? What if he didn’t believe in this True Love’s Kiss? No, she couldn’t believe that, and if it was true, well. She’d sort that out later. Right now it was time to focus on other things revealed in the legend.

“Doctor, what about the wolf? Did Bad Wolf have anything to do with this? ‘Cause I had Time in me, yeah? When I opened the heart? Plus, I’m human. And you’re the Time Lord, that’s obvious. But how is this possible?” The words fell out of Rose in a jumble as she tried to make sense of the story. “And what’s this about ‘metamorphosis’ and ‘transformation’? Did something happen to me?”

Rose felt the Doctor tense and pulled back to look at him. With his other hand not holding Rose’s, the Doctor scratched the back of his neck before sighing. “I don’t know, Rose. I honestly just don’t know. I’ve got a hunch, and, mind you, my hunches are almost always right, and when I say almost always, I mean–”

Keziah cleared her throat, effectively interrupting the Doctor.

“Ah, right, yes, erm. Sorry.” He shook his head. “Where was I?”

Rose giggled. “You’ve got a hunch?”

“Right! The legend. I can’t say for sure until we’re back on the TARDIS and I do some scans on you, but it seems that when you went all Bad Wolf on the game station, you and the TARDIS made some decisions of your own to–” He paused here, and Rose held her breath expectantly. “To ensure that not only will you get your forever with me, but I’ll get my forever with you.” The words tumbled quickly off his tongue, and Rose gaped at him. 

“So the ‘metamorphosis’ and ‘transformation’...’” she started, eyes widening at the implication of what he said. “Does that mean I’m _changed_? Am I not human anymore?” If it meant she got to be with the Doctor forever, Rose knew whatever changes she’d orchestrated as Bad Wolf didn’t matter, even though she still couldn’t really remember what happened during that time. But still, it was a lot to take in at once, especially since she’d been the one sleeping for the past two weeks. 

At her question, the Doctor’s eyes shuttered briefly, but he faced her when answering. “It’s quite possible, yes, but like I said, until we’re on the TARDIS, I can’t tell you for sure. But Rose,” he added when he saw her worrying her bottom lip, “you’ll always have that humanness that makes you _you_ , the Rose I–” He stopped abruptly, and the tips of his ears turned pink. Clearing his throat, he tipped her chin up with his thumb so her gaze met his, his eyes warm and full of a sort of emotion she never expected to see.

Rose inhaled sharply. Of course she knew what he’d almost said, and despite the nature of how she’d woken from the enchanted sleep, she knew the Doctor couldn’t be rushed with such matters of the heart. Repeating her action from when she first woke up, Rose placed her hand on his cheek and stroked gently with her thumb. “Don’t have to say it, Doctor. I feel the same.”

For a few moments they simply stared into each other’s eyes until a rustle from the seat across from them distracted her. So wrapped up in the Doctor, she’d completely forgotten about Keziah and Shoshana in such close proximity and how they’d just been witness to a rather intimate moment between them, even without a verbal declaration of love. 

Rose turned to Shoshana and Keziah. “Look,” she said, cheeks pink with embarrassment, “I think it’s time for us to go, I’m so sorry. But I think I–” She stopped, looking briefly at the Doctor and firmly clasping her hand in his. “I really need to know what happened to me. But we’ll come back, I promise, an’ really, thank you.”

“Rose, it’s no–” Shoshana started.

“No, please, hear me out,” Rose requested before giving the Doctor a sidelong look. “I feel like I owe a lot to you both for helpin’ the Doctor. I’m sure he was a right stubborn git–”

“Oi!”

“–but thank you for telling him the legend and whatever you did so he’d wake me up. We owe you so much.”

The Doctor squeezed her hand and nodded at the princesses. 

“Rose, consider it a debt repaid,” Shoshana replied with a smile. “And whenever you wish to return, and perhaps collect your reward from the bouquet toss, you and your Doctor are _always_ welcome.

Rose blushed, remembering the reward of the bouquet toss, and pulled the Doctor up by the hand before letting go and hugging Kezia and Shoshana. The Doctor followed her to the TARDIS, and as they pushed the door open, Keziah’s voice rang out.

“Doctor, Rose, wait. I realize you have much to discuss, and I won’t keep you long, but I really must ask, since we’ve been through so much together. Who are you, really?”

Rose turned to the Doctor, and they exchanged amused smiles as they remembered the familiar question. 

“Oh,” the Doctor started.

“The stuff of legend,” Rose finished before they entered the TARDIS and closed the door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an edited version from the original chapter I posted. I wasn't happy with a particular element to this chapter and went back to fix it.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Rose, back on the TARDIS, head to the medbay to examine Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been a while, yes? I've had a lot going on since the last update, including a major move, so please forgive me. I've got the next chapter finished and part of the epilogue worked out, so hopefully we'll get this thing finished in the near future. 
> 
> This chapter and the next were very challenging for me, to be honest, and my only hope is that you guys are able to enjoy them. I'm insanely nervous about posting them, but I finally decided to just do it. I did some research for these chapters, but keep in mind, some of the specific details are to my interpretation and creation. 
> 
> The next chapter follows immediately after this chapter, and I promise I'll post it the next few days. 
> 
> I'd like to say thank you to my Crazygirlne, my beta, and to Jeeno2 for helping me out with these two chapters. It's helped me more than you know.
> 
> ALSO: In case you missed it, I did go back to the last chapter after initially posting it and changed a big element to the story.

Rose sat on the jumpseat and anxiously chewed her thumbnail as the Doctor completed his routine dance around the console to dematerialize and take them into the Vortex. To anyone else, he exuded a carefree posture, but Rose knew the Doctor well enough to know he was putting on a mask of indifference. An entirely unnecessary mask, she thought, because despite the uncustomary display of intimacy they'd just exchanged, there was still much to discover about the changes in her body. Rose was as tense as the Doctor about what they didn't yet know. 

A part of her worried the Doctor would brush off the events on Rvaldo Prime and that they’d carry on as usual, but deep down she knew that wouldn’t happen. There had already been too much revealed regarding the legend and her involvement in it, and Rose decided she wouldn't let him avoid this confrontation if he tried to distract her with his usual tactics. 

The erratic motion of the TARDIS leveled out, signifying their arrival into the Vortex. The Doctor turned to Rose with a cautious smile. “So. Medbay?”

Rose hopped up from the jump seat and reached for his hand, gently running her thumb over his. This, whatever it was, involved both of them together. _Together_. The very thought sent a little thrill down her spine, and she noticed the Doctor give her a sidelong glance. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

“Yeah, ‘s just…” She trailed off as she remembered her earlier thoughts. “Doctor, wait.” Tugging him to a stop, Rose looked up at him. “I know this is all really confusing and all that, and we don’t really know what’s going on with the changes, but I hope– I’m scared you feel forced into doing something you don’t want to do. With me. That this legend or whatever it is, is rushing you or, I dunno, that you don’t really feel–” The Doctor cut her off by kissing her sweetly on the lips, causing her to squeak in surprise. 

Once she processed his actions, Rose melted into the Doctor’s arms, which had wrapped around her while she’d spoken. Awake and fully aware this time, she wasn’t wasting any more of these moments. She sighed before pulling back slightly. “Um. Does that mean you’re okay with everything?” 

The Doctor grinned. “Yes, but I’ll feel better once we get to the med bay and run some tests.”

Rose bit her lip and pulled away from his embrace. “Doctor, what if–” She was almost loath to voice this concern, but the question had to be asked. The Doctor waited expectantly, so she continued, taking a deep breath before speaking. “What if I’m not changed? What if I’m just… well, just me? Same silly human ape, Rose Tyler?”

The Doctor cupped her cheek in his hand, and she leaned into his touch. Smiling softly, he replied, “Rose, I wanted more with you even before all this happened, but I was scared of losing you, and I never believed you’d want me… like this. Honestly, I’m still scared – of all of it. But when you were sleeping and nothing, _nothing_ I tried woke you up, there was nothing I wanted more than to have this. Us.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “I realized it was pointless to continue pushing you away, holding you at arm’s length. I think we were always headed down this path, and it doesn’t matter if you’re human or something different. You’re still you.” He reached a hand up and scratched the back of his neck.

“Yeah?” Rose asked, swallowing. 

“Yes,” the Doctor confirmed. “Now, that being said, I’d like to find out exactly where you fall on that ‘human or something different’ spectrum, just for our own information. That alright?” He nodded at the medbay door, which the TARDIS had conveniently brought close to where they stood in the corridor.

**+++++**

Thirty minutes later, Rose laid on the exam table (the bed she’d inhabited for two weeks had disappeared) and rolled her eyes as the Doctor argued with the TARDIS.

“You should have shown me this!!” he bellowed, kicking the side of a cabinet in frustration. Sparks flew out of the machine he worked on, and he yelped loudly when his fingers got burned.

“Doctor,” Rose began, “maybe include me in this discussion, yeah? If the TARDIS didn’t show you the results, maybe it’s cause other things had to happen first. Would you have gone back to Rvaldo Prime to hear the legend if you saw I’d changed? What would you have done?”

The Doctor stopped in his tracks and looked at Rose. The medbay lights flickered, confirming Rose’s words. 

“See, I think the TARDIS knew you needed to hear the story before you could believe what happened. ‘Sides, if I did change, it’s cause me and the TARDIS planned it that way and knew you’d be a stubborn git about accepting it. Just tell me what you see.”

The Doctor sighed in defeat and pulled the scanner to the table. He sat down next to Rose, who swung her legs over the edge, and pulled out his glasses. On the screen, there three different diagrams of what looked like DNA strands. Pointing to the image on the left, the Doctor began his explanation. “On the left is your DNA from when I took your blood sample after the Gxrlixi scratched you on Thuxx.”

“That was before the game station, yeah?” Rose asked, knowing full well she’d gotten that scratch when Jack had traveled with them. 

“Yes. Anyways, perfectly normal, double stranded, human DNA. That’s yours. Mine is in the middle, with three visible strands. Time Lord DNA. And this–” He waved his hand in front of the third image. “This is a sample I just took of your DNA, and as you can see, it’s undergone many changes.”

Rose stared at the images on the scanner. The third, her “new” DNA, more closely matched the Doctor’s, with three strands, but it still retained many elements similar to her original DNA. Most curious, however, was the fact that her DNA almost seemed to glow, a golden hue that reminded her of the TARDIS. 

She heard the Doctor take a deep breath, but she stopped him before he began what was likely meant to be a detailed explanation of what she saw on the screen. “Doctor, you can explain all the science stuff later, okay? For now, can you just tell me _how_ I’m different?”

The Doctor cleared his throat and looked at Rose, his lower lip jutting out slightly in such a way that suggested he was a bit put out she stopped his lecture before he had a chance to begin. Rose giggled at his expression. “Sorry, Doctor. I promise you can give me the full lecture later. Right now I just need to know the important things about how I’ve changed.”

“You’re really okay with this, aren’t you?” the Doctor asked, confusion and awe simultaneously lacing his voice. Rose’s heart constricted when she realized how the Doctor clung to such a cautiously optimistic hope. 

“Doctor, this is my life, now. _You_ are my life now. You and our life on the TARDIS. And yes. Yes, I want it. And even though I can’t really remember what happened, I don’t regret it.” She gasped as the Doctor pulled her to his chest. She twisted somewhat awkwardly, as they still sat side by side, but she allowed him a moment to absorb the truth of her words. Yes, it was a bit much to take in, even she had to admit that, but their life together had never followed an orderly, straight line, and somehow this was just another bit of the unexpected. “One thing at a time, though, yeah?”

“Yes,” the Doctor said. “Let’s talk about you, now.”

Rose bit her lip in nervous anticipation. 

“Rose, there’s nothing wrong with you. Honestly, it’s hard to tell exactly, but I have a hunch, and–”

“Yes, I know, your hunches are almost always right,” Rose interrupted with a grin before he struck out on another random tangent again. 

The Doctor sniffed. “Yes, well, they are.” Rose laughed. “But as I was saying, the extra strand indicates you have regenerative capabilities. It doesn’t have the same properties as mine to suggest you’ll regenerate like a Time Lord or Lady, but rather, your body will likely heal itself rapidly and restore any degeneration more quickly. And…” He trailed off nervously. 

“Just spit it out, Doctor,” Rose said.

“And you won’t age.”

Rose gasped. “But…” She considered his explanation and tried to piece everything together. “But the legend said… Is this the ‘biological metamorphosis and transformation’ it talked about? I didn’t really change, though.” 

“Oh, you changed, Rose. Your DNA alone is evidence of that.”

“Okay…” She looked at the images again and another detail jumped out at her. “What’s that golden glow? It looks like the TARDS, when I opened her heart. And when you regenerated,” she added thoughtfully.

The Doctor looked down sharply at Rose before peering at the image on the screen once more. Rose watched as he pulled back and sat quietly.

**+++++**

Several minutes passed, and the Doctor thought furiously. The pekayo flower, the ‘wolf rose,’ the golden hues in the flower itself, the color of the golden wolf in Rose’s mind, the way their timelines had blended together… It all had to be related. “Rose, what do you remember after you opened the heart of the TARDIS?”

Rose frowned, confused by the abrupt change in subject, and chewed on her lip as she considered the Doctor’s question. The Doctor watched anxiously, knowing he’d intentionally left out many details when he’d first explained what’d happened. 

She pierced him with a sharp glare. “Something tells me your story of signin’ a bloody song and the Daleks running away isn’t exactly true, is it, Doctor?” He cursed the flush that crept up his neck. “I _knew_ it. No, I don’t remember much, but I’m guessing I worked with the TARDIS to do this.” She waved down her body and then at the scanner, which still displayed the images of their DNA. 

“Rose, while you were sleeping, I literally tried everything I could think of to wake you up. Literally, everything. And there’s one thing I did, I’m so, so sorry, but I had to try.” With each word, Rose’s forehead scrunched more in apprehension. “It’s not bad, per se, but… Itriedgoinginsideyourmind.” The sentence spilled from his mouth in a quick jumble of words. 

“Wha’?”

“I tried going inside your mind.” This time he carefully enunciated the words. 

Rose looked confused. “You think I’m mad at you?”

“ _Well_ , you didn’t much like it when I told you the TARDIS telepathically translates for you,” the Doctor explained. 

“Doctor, I barely knew you. I barely knew your ship, and I didn’t know anything about telepathy. But now? I’ve seen you use it, like with Chloe. An’ I trust you not to muck about.” She smiled at him, a warm, gentle sort of thing. 

“You put too much faith in me, Rose,” he said softly. “Because your mind– Well, it was a bit distracting. You have the TARDIS to thank for reminding me to stay focused. But when I tried to figure out the problem, I encountered something I wasn’t expecting.” 

“Yeah, and what’s that, then?”

“Well, your mind was, ah, well, it was guarded by a golden wolf, and it wouldn’t let me investigate.”

Rose rolled her eyes and snorted. “Oh, I’m sure you _loved_ that. An inexplicable wolf…” She trailed off and scrunched her brow. “‘ _There is something of the wolf about you…_ ’” 

The Doctor turned sharply to Rose. “What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s jus’... I forgot all about it, cause we were running for our lives, but in Scotland, before you finally came to free us from the chains, the werewolf was talking, an’ it said something that I didn’t understand. It said something about how I’ve seen the wolf too, that there’s something of the wolf about me. ‘Course then everything went to hell, and I forgot the things it said, what with trying to save Queen Vickie’s life an’ all that,” Rose explained. 

The Doctor paled. So it wasn’t just _him_ who’d encountered more of the wolf since the game station. The words floated unbidden through his mind, _a message to lead myself here_. Perhaps…

“Doctor, you’re thinkin’ without me. Care to share with the rest of the class?” 

He rolled his eyes. “Rose, I can tell you, but I have a hunch there are some memories in your mind that need to be unlocked, and then we’ll find all the answers we’re looking for. Seeing those memories for yourself might be better than me trying to explain. Perhaps now that you’re awake, this guard wolf will listen to your commands.”

Rose’s eyes widened at the implication of his words. “Oh,” she said, slightly breathless. “Yeah, okay, sure. What do I need to do?”


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor goes inside Rose's mind to discover some hidden memories. What they find might surprise them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm finally happy-ish with this chapter. This one and the last were an exceptional challenge to write, for some reason, but here we are. I hope you like it. It was always supposed to be fairy-tale-esque in a way that only the Doctor and Rose could create, so if it gets a bit cheesy, well... Everyone need a bit of cheese. Enjoy! ;) 
> 
> As of now, I just foresee the epilogue after this! I've started writing it, and I hope to work on it this week. 
> 
> Many thanks to my beta, Crazygirlne, Jeeno2, and Caedmon for being generally awesome and willing to listen to me go on and on about these chapters. ;) <3 you guys.

A short time later, the Doctor and Rose lay on their sides, facing each other in Rose’s bed. After explaining how telepathy worked, he’d suggested it might be more comfortable if they were lying down, so she’d taken his hand and led him to her room. Her body hummed with nervous anticipation as the Doctor explained the process. 

“Just relax,” he soothed. “I’ll hold my hands to your temples for the initial contact, but if you’d like, we can hold hands after. We just need to be touching to maintain the telepathic contact I need.”

“I’m ready, Doctor,” she assured him.

Closing her eyes, Rose held her breath as the Doctor carefully placed his fingers on her temples. His thumbs gently brushed against her forehead, and suddenly, in an instant, she felt him in her mind. It was… He felt… “It’s like you belong here,” she whispered quietly. “It’s like I never knew you were missing until I felt you here.”

_Rose…_ the Doctor spoke inside her mind, and he filled her name with indescribable emotion. _How can you feel that?_ One of his hands slipped down to meet hers, and their fingers naturally, instinctively, entwined together. The other hand soon followed, and they lay together holding hands. 

Rose savored the presence of the Doctor inside her mind. She didn’t have words to describe it, but the awareness of him there felt _right_ , somehow. Instead of speaking out loud, she tried thinking her thoughts to the Doctor. _Doctor?_

_Yes?_ He sounded amused. 

_Oi, no laughing. It’s weird talking to myself – talking to someone else – inside my own head._

_It’s perfectly normal, Rose. Don’t overthink it._

_Easy for you to say, Time Lord_. Rose mentally rolled her eyes. 

The Doctor reminded her of his earlier question. _But really, Rose, how can you feel that? Like I’ve been missing when I’ve never been inside your mind._

_I dunno, Doctor. It’s just… It’s like you’re a missing piece to the puzzle that completes it_. She tried to explain, but the right words failed her. 

_Impossible_. 

Rose snorted out loud. _Yeah, you need to stop saying that, Doctor._

_I guess I do_ , he replied with amusement. 

_So what happens, now?_ Rose asked.

_Now we get past that wolf._

Rose saw and felt the Doctor moving through her mind. He’d said to close doors to the things she didn’t want him to see, but she held nothing back from him. They were… _something_ , now, True Love, according to the legend, but despite that, Rose didn’t want to hold anything back. She didn’t have anything to hide. 

Whispers of the depth of his emotions flurried around her mind like petals on the wind, and Rose asked the Doctor an important question. _If you can get into my mind, can I get into yours?_

The Doctor stopped his search. _You don’t have to, Rose._

Rose sighed. _You didn’t answer my question._

_Yes, now you can_ , he replied simply. _But first, before we try that, if you even want to, your memories._

The search resumed, and Rose knew the moment he encountered the wolf. She felt it in her bones, tingling down her spine, as if she and it were joined together, as if they were, somehow, the same. When the Doctor prodded the wolf, the familiarity she’d experienced earlier with the Doctor intensified, and she felt her mental barriers fall completely, allowing the Doctor into the one place hidden from him. 

The moment the barriers fell, long since hidden memories escaped and overwhelmed both Rose and the Doctor. Rose scrunched her eyes shut in an effort to maintain her emotions, and she pulled away from the Doctor, breaking their connection when she let go of his hands. The onslaught of memories similarly affected the Doctor as well, and he sat up in shock, rigid with tension. 

For several moments, Rose processed the memories as they slotted back into place in her mind. She choked back a sob as everything that’d happened on the game station revealed itself in startling clarity. Joining her heart and mind with the TARDIS, destroying the Daleks (oh god, she’d destroyed _all_ of them), bringing Jack back to life… _forever_... And before she could think about _that_ bombshell, she saw how the legend of the pekayo flower was written into time; how together with the TARDIS and the Doctor, in the moment he pulled power of the Vortex from her mind, they _saw all things_ and wrote the names of Rose Tyler and the Doctor into the cosmos, ensuring that their timelines would forever be bound together. 

Finally, after several minutes, Rose opened her eyes and found the Doctor watching her intently, his brow creased with worry. She sat up and crawled into his lap when he opened his arms to her, and he brushed the tears – of relief, happiness, shock, and horror – that trailed unendingly down her cheeks. Struggling with where to begin, Rose picked the first thought that crossed her mind. 

“Jack.” Her voice wavered and cracked. “How come you didn’t tell me about Jack?” 

The Doctor exhaled loudly, and Rose held her breath during the silence that followed. Finally, the Doctor looked up with pleading eyes. “Rose, yes, we need to talk about Jack, but can it wait? Please?”

Rose stared into his eyes for several moments, searching for the promise she needed. “Do you promise, Doctor? Jack is our friend, and he needs us.” 

The Doctor held her gaze and gave a decisive nod. “Yes, I promise. As soon as we figure out everything here, with us, we’ll talk about Jack.”

Rose nodded, content to abandon the subject for now. 

An unsettled silence descended upon them for several minutes, and Rose thanked the stars the Doctor was content to let her sort through the memories. 

“What does it mean, that our timelines are bound together?” she asked, finally voicing a question. 

“When I kissed you, Rose, I not only woke you, but I caught a glimpse of our timelines twisting together into the future. I can’t see the specifics, only that yours are just as indistinguishable as mine. And that only happens when two individuals are bonded, or, as I think is applicable in our case, partially bonded.” Rose nodded her understanding thus far, and the Doctor continued. “And if you recall the memories, in that moment I took the Vortex from you, we, ah, well– That’s when the bonding process began. It sort of paved the way, so to say.”

She focused on one word. “But bonding. What is that, exactly?”

“Bonding is an old Gallifreyan custom, specifically among telepaths,” the Doctor began to explain. 

Rose pursed her lips. “But I’m not a telepath.”

“You weren’t, but once I saw everything: our timelines during the kiss, the memories of what happened when you were the Bad Wolf, and then, most importantly, inside your mind, well– Another part of this ‘transformation’ is your mind, and you now have the telepathic capabilities required to complete a Gallifreyan bond.” The Doctor’s eyes shone with some unspoken emotion. 

Rose felt an excitement she couldn’t quite explain. “And this is good, yeah?”

“Yes,” the Doctor whispered. His voice strengthened. “But to bond with another means to join minds together: it’s similar, I suppose, to marriage, according to your customs. But it’s _more_ , because the bond is constant and forever and cannot be broken without severe... repercussions, both to physically and mentally. Once bonded, there is a constant connection. Barriers, of course, can be drawn for privacy of independent thought and day-to-day life, but during physical intimacy,” the tips of his ears reddened, “all barriers fall, and the two of one mind.”

Rose gaped at the Doctor. “And we have that? A bond?”

“Yes. _Well_ , no. Not yet. Not a full bond. That requires a specific action and consent between both individuals in a special ceremony, of sorts.”

Rose looked chewed her thumbnail, considering his words. 

The Doctor ran his fingers absentmindedly through Rose’s hair. “I originally thought the pekayo flower was the catalyst for the changes in your physiology, but I believe everything started with Bad Wolf and the game station. When you opened the heart of the TARDIS, you bonded with her, quite similar to how I am bonded with her. But the physical changes inside you, the development of any telepathic capabilities, and your own bond with the TARDIS without that direct connection, they needed time to develop in order to create this ‘metamorphosis’ as described in the legend. And any time you had to go to the medbay, my TARDIS,” he scowls at the ceiling, “generated scans based on ones I took of you before the game station. You smelling the pekayo flower and falling into this… sleep, it was a fixed event. All of it, all of this.” He waved a hand around in the air. “It had to happen so the final stages of your ‘transformation’ could occur.” He paused as Rose processed his words. 

It had to happen. A fixed event. She was familiar with such terms after nearly two years on the TARDIS, but to think she had any contribution to such a tremendous change boggled her mind. “So, do you want it? The bond?” Rose fiddled with her hair and peeked up at the Doctor. 

He looked down at her with a wry grin. “Do you?”

Rose sighed in exasperation. “Asked you first.”

The Doctor tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “Yes, I would like that very much.”

Rose turned and smiled into his shirt. “Yeah,” she said simply. “Me too.”

“But,” the Doctor continued, “I’d… I’d like to wait, if that’s okay with you. As much as I want it, this is all rather–” He struggled to find the right words, but stopped when Rose lay a hand on his arm and smiled.

“Doctor, s’okay. I was gonna ask to wait, too. It’s all a bit… new, yeah? Can you teach me more about it? Well, the telepathy and the bond? I’d like to know more about my bond with the TARDIS, too.”

The Doctor sighed in relief. “Of course, Rose. In fact, now that you’ve changed, that your mind is ready, I’m sure she’s just as anxious to develop that bond with you again. Since you once had a full bond, when you were joined with her, it should be fairly easy to reconnect, once you’ve had a moment to adjust to everything.”

Rose pushed the Doctor slightly, so he fell back on her bed. She burrowed into his embrace and sighed contently when he wrapped his arms around her. Just like the telepathy, this felt right, like it was always meant to be.

And apparently, it was: the Doctor and Rose Tyler, together for always, a fixed event in time. 

Their own happily ever after.


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story comes to a happy conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnnd, it's finished!! Thank you to everyone who read this story and gave me such wonderful words of encouragement and feedback!! :) I can't believe it all stemmed from one silly little prompt. This is officially the longest thing I've ever written in my life. ;) 
> 
> Thanks to Tenscupcake for the prompt and being patient with me.
> 
> And a HUGE thanks to Crazygirlne for being my amazing beta and also to Jeeno2 and Caedmon for helping me out on more than one occasion. 
> 
> As a side note, Rose's dress is based off the dress Claire Danes wore to the 2016 Met Gala, which can be found [here](http://goingtothetardis.tumblr.com/post/144772622772/simon-lewis-zac-posens-gown-for-claire-danes).

For months, the Doctor and Rose traveled together throughout time and space, running and laughing their way through danger and adventure. During quiet moments, they slowly nurtured the fledgling bond between them and learned to embrace their new forever. For Rose, it wasn’t difficult to accept the gift they’d been given (or, rather, helped create), but the Doctor, long since burdened by and cynical of the ways of the universe, often had a hard time accepting that Rose would be forever by his side. 

Because of this, they decided to wait to complete the bond, because they wanted peace, not fear, to rule in their hearts on this matter. This also included postponing their impending conversation with Jackie regarding the changes in Rose and in their relationship.

One day, three months after the Doctor woke Rose with a kiss on Rvaldo Prime, Jackie called Rose with reports of ghosts covering the earth. They immediately set course for London, where they were horrified to discover the treacherous plans of Torchwood, the reality of which were far more terrifying than the organization had known. 

During their investigation and infiltration of Torchwood, much to the shock and delight of Rose, they’d discovered Jack working for the Torchwood in Cardiff, and after resolving the initial tension between them, Jack proved he had nothing to do with the hostile plans of Canary Wharf. With the assistance of both Jack and Sarah Jane, the latter recruited by Rose, the Doctor and Rose were able to take down the organization from the inside, and they sent an ominous Void ship back where it belonged, sealing all remaining gaps between the universes in the process. Jack promised to resolve any lingering problems at Canary Wharf so the situation would not be repeated in the future. 

Amidst the chaotic situation with Torchwood, the Doctor was plagued with visions of timelines that did not come to pass, and in many of them, Rose fell into the Void or was trapped in the parallel universe. Feeling the reverberations of that desperate loss, the Doctor overcame the last lingering doubts that held him back from Rose. As soon as they could, he and Rose took their leave back to the TARDIS, and in a night filled with certain conviction and passion, they completed their bond and joined together in a physical and mental demonstration of their love. 

\--

Some weeks later, Rose finally convinced the Doctor it was time to tell Jackie about their new relationship, the bond, and the changes she’d undergone. Jackie listened to their story without a word. Once they finished, Rose and the Doctor exchanged nervous glances as Jackie continued to sit silently. 

“You know, you were always meant for more,” Jackie, still lost in her thoughts, said to Rose. “Always with your head in the stars, you were, never quite content with the life you lived.”

“Mum,” Rose interjected. 

“No, hear me out. I thought you was walking around with airs and graces all your life, but turns out, you weren’t meant for life on this earth.” She looked between the Doctor and Rose with a soft smile. “S’always been this daft alien, ever since you met him, big ears an’ all. Oh, I hated it, even hated you, Doctor, for a while, but now…” She stood up and walked to the Doctor, standing in front of him with her hand on her hip. 

“Doctor, you promise me this. When I’m long gone and there’s nothing holding Rose to Earth, you remind her where she’s from, remind her who she is, you hear?” She poked him hard in the chest, making him fall back against the sofa. “And if you ever hurt my daughter, doesn’t matter if I’m alive or dead, I’ll find a way to smack that pretty face of yours to the other end of the universe. Understood?”

The Doctor swallowed visibly at her words, and his hand ghosted up to protectively cup the cheek she’d smacked so very long ago after returning Rose to her a year too late. “Understood,” he replied. 

Jackie stared at Rose for several long moments, as if she expected her daughter to turn into some unfamiliar creature, and what she saw both shocked and amazed her. Rose was no longer the soft, directionless girl she’d been at the age of nineteen when she’d first met the Doctor. She exuded a quiet confidence and maturity, and her body showed the direct results of the active lifestyle she and the Doctor lived. For the first time, she recognized her daughter as a grown woman, capable of her own, independent choices, and it made Jackie proud. 

“Now, what’s this about you two getting married?”

The Doctor choked on his tea, and Rose exclaimed, “Mum!”

She smirked at them. “In your story, you said Rose caught a bouquet? Well, around here that means you’re next in line to be married.” Rose muttered something incomprehensible. “What’s that, Rose?”

“I said, I won a weddin’,” Rose replied, and promptly clapped both hands over her mouth. 

Jackie smiled. She knew they’d left out some important details from their story.

The Doctor perked up and sat forward. “But Jackie, it’s on Rvaldo Prime, and we can’t very well have the wedding here. It’s got to be there, and I know you’re not fond traveling on the TARDIS.” He shook his head. “Shame, really.”

“When it’s my own daughter’s weddin’, I’ll go anywhere I need to. _Even_ if it means I have to ride on that barmy ship of yours.” Jackie enjoyed watching the Doctor’s reaction, the way his face paled and how he brought his hand up to tug nervously on his ear. 

But then a thought struck her. “Wait.” She looked between the two of them, both nervously fidgeting on the sofa. “You haven’t even proposed yet, ‘ave you?” 

The Doctor shifted and glanced quickly at Rose. “Not as such, no.”

“Mum, we don’t _need_ a weddin’, him and me. Plus, we’re already sort of married, with the bond and all,” Rose explained. 

Jackie huffed. “If you think I’m missin’ out on my only daughter’s wedding because you’re already married through some weird alien mumbo jumbo, then you clearly don’t know me. Now, you two go do what you need to do, and I’ll meet you down at the TARDIS in one hour. I’ll pack my things.”

\--

Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor and Rose engaged in a back and forth discussion about the necessity of marriage and taking advantage of the wedding they’d won on Rvaldo Prime. The Doctor, eager to not only placate Jackie, but also to provide Rose with the opportunity to experience such a human tradition since she had so willingly and enthusiastically bonded with him in the ways of his people, finally convinced Rose that she did, in fact, want to get married. Or at least experience the tradition with her mother.

When Jackie arrived an hour later, laden with luggage and bags, the Doctor calmly sent them into the Vortex and excused himself into the depths of his ship. Rose, curious but not worried about the Doctor’s unexplained disappearance, gave Jackie the short tour of the TARDIS, who happily provided Jackie with a rather posh room of her own. 

\-- 

“If I’d known your ship was like this, I’d’ve come along for a ride _ages_ ago!” Jackie sighed happily, blissfully reclined on her massive bed in the middle of a pile of pillows. 

Rose laughed. “Yeah, m’sure the Doctor would’ve loved that!”

“I don’t even need to do whatever you two get up to all day long. _God_ , this bed is comfortable. S’like this ship knows exactly what I need.”

Rose, remembering her own irritation of having the TARDIS inside her head, decided to keep that detail from her Mum for now. “Tell you what. When we’re done with the wedding, we’ll drop you off on a pleasure planet, and you can get all the pampering you want. It’s amazing, really.”

Jackie couldn’t find the words to express her delight. 

\-- 

After leaving Jackie in her room, Rose searched for the Doctor via their bond. She found him in the library, and with a nervous twist of her hair, she tried to talk the Doctor into picking up Jack so their friend could participate in their wedding adventure. To her surprise, he readily agreed, and when Jackie wandered into the galley the next morning in her embarrassingly short dressing gown, she was met with wolf whistles from one Jack Harkness. The Doctor, of course, whispered desperately from the table for him to shut up, and Jackie laughed at the Doctor’s unease. 

Jack and Jackie bonded instantly, and Rose, after a hug with both her Mum and friend, followed the Doctor as he left the galley to land them on Ravaldo Prime. 

The princesses delightedly welcomed the Doctor and Rose back to their kingdom and exchanged dumbfounded looks of happy surprise when Rose announced their desire to take advantage of her bouquet toss prize. When introductions were all made, they settled into the very familiar sitting room.

\--

Shoshana studied the Doctor and Rose before settling her eyes on the Doctor. “I have to admit, Doctor, I didn’t think I’d see either of you again.”

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. “Eh, well, I didn’t exactly think we’d be back.”

“What changed?” she asked.

Jackie spoke up before the Doctor could continue. “They came to me talking about all the ways Rose’s changed and how they bonded, and when I found out about the bouquet toss and the wedding they won, I said to Rose, ‘When it’s my only daughter’s weddin’, I’ll go anywhere I need to.’ They almost didn’t tell me about it. Can you believe that?” She scowled at the Doctor. 

Shoshana smiled, and Keziah let out a few chuckles. “Somehow I can.”

\--

Over the next few weeks, Jackie became a force of nature as she, with assistance from the princesses, Jack, and the royal wedding planners, planned the wedding she’d always dreamed of for her daughter. The Doctor and Rose gave Jackie free reign over the occasion with several specific requests: they wanted to be married after dark, under the night sky of Rvaldo Prime; the TARDIS, not the royal dressmakers, would provide the Doctor and Rose’s wedding attire, including the rings; Jackie would stand up with Rose, and Jack would stand up with the Doctor; and their vows would be of their own creation. 

Jackie protested weakly on the wedding attire aspect, but when Rose led her to the wardrobe room, to a special little area the TARDIS had made just for the wedding, the dress the ship had created for Rose was such that Jackie grudgingly accepted this requirement. 

During the days, the Doctor, Rose, and sometimes Jack explored Rvaldo Prime and offered assistance to those in need. Word of their story had traveled quickly, and the people paid due reverence to the couple, much to their embarrassment and Jack’s amusement. 

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived, and the day was a mad blur of hustle and excitement. Separated by Jackie the night before with much protest, the Doctor and Rose contented themselves by communicating along their bond during the often tedious preparation process of their wedding day. 

\--

Jackie looked around the wedding venue and still found it hard to believe she was really on an alien planet about to watch her daughter marry an alien. Had anyone told her this would be her life three years ago, she’d have thought them mental. But now, somehow, this was her life, and all she ever wanted for Rose was for her to be happy. 

And she was happy. Jackie could see it in every smile, in the way Rose’s eyes softened when she looked at the Doctor, the way she held the Doctor’s hand. And if that was enough for Rose, it was enough for Jackie. 

She marveled at the wedding venue, which was unlike anything she’d ever seen: a small clearing in the woods, surrounded on three sides by towering, unfamiliar trees. Jackie had been told the magical elements of the Rvaldan society were often more obvious during grand occasions such as a wedding, as the various elements to the decorations and setting were slightly _more_ than on Earth, almost _alive_ , enhanced as they were with magical properties. The way the fairy lights glowed around the venue, wrapped around and suspended from the trees. The way the air seemed to shimmer with excitement and energy, in a way that was not quite normal. Despite the twinkling lights, the twin moons of Rvaldo Prime shone brightly from above, illuminating the outdoor atmosphere.

Jackie’s eyes filled with tears when the Doctor and Jack appeared on the opposite side of the clearing and walked to the the open area in front of the guests. 

“Mum.” Rose appeared at her side, and Jackie, for the first time in her life, was at a loss for words. 

Rose’s dress, a princess style dress with a sweetheart neckline, glowed. It _glowed_. Light illuminated around the edges and seams and the dress appeared to shift to various shades of blue when she moved. Overall, it gave one the impression that there were thousands of twinkling stars covering her dress, and the effect was breathtaking and magical. 

A tear slipped down Jackie’s face, and she kissed her daughter gently on the cheek before they walked down the aisle holding hands. Music played in the background, but Jackie focused only on placing one foot in front of the other. When they reached the end of the aisle, the Doctor met Rose. 

Jackie had to admit the TARDIS had outdone herself. The Doctor wore a dark navy suit, pinstripes woven in delicate lines with a silvery thread. His shirt matched the thread in a way that was sophisticated and elegant rather than gaudy, and his navy tie matched Rose’s dress in the way it seemed to reflect a thousand glittering stars. And on his feet… Trainers. Of course. 

With a laugh, Jackie tugged him forward and planted a wet kiss on his lips, smirking when he pulled away and gave Rose a disgusted look. 

\--

Jackie and Jack moved to the side as the Doctor and Rose took center stage. The wedding guests were few, simply the king, queen, the princess, and several of the friends they’d made on Rvaldo Prime, but it’s all they wanted. No one noticed the blue police box hidden among the trees. 

A royal advisor to the king and queen officiated the simple ceremony, and before long, the Doctor and Rose stepped closer to each other to exchange their vows and rings. 

The Doctor had hand-crafted rings for Rose and himself imbued with the remnants of the pekayo flower that had sent Rose into her enchanted sleep. On Rose’s ring he had affixed a precious gem from Gallifrey, the last of its kind in the universe, and he’d etched the word ‘forever’ in his native tongue. The same word was written on his ring in English. 

It was a quiet affair, solemn but happy, and Jack and Jackie watched proudly from the side as the Doctor and Rose once more committed their lives to each other forever. 

\-- 

“How long are you going to stay with me?” the Doctor asked.

Rose smiled. “Forever.”


End file.
